Workplace stressors, processes, diseases and disabilities

Toxins are chemical substances which interfere with the normal operation of a particular part, or parts, of the body. They can do this in a variety of ways. The ehemistry of the toxin decides how, where and how badly it will interfere with the eells, tissues, organs or systems of the body. In some cases the ehemistry of the surfaee of particles be important, e g. in asbestos fibres and quartz dust. However, we earmot jirst look at the chemical make-up of a substance and know in advance what it will do to the body. Over the years, as knowledge has built up, we can sometimes make some reasonable predictions but, as new substances come along, it is a process of trial and error. Medical specialists, for example, get permission to run human trials on new drugs after the drugs have been tested on animals, colonies of human cells grown in laboratories and bacteria. 

Routes of absorption of toxins, target organs and detoxification 

Toxins are absorbed into the body by the following routes  

It is important to remember that people other than the worker exposed to a toxin can be affected. Close contact with a child can result in the child breathing dust from hair or clothes, or the child s skin contacting a hquid toxin on overalls. The sexual partner of a worker risks genital contamination (e.g. asbestos fibres have been found in ovaries) if the worker s hand, fingernail, and other lygiene is not good. Ingestion of toxins by 

Toxins are generalfy linked with particular conditions in specific parts of the body, but the toxin m have effects in several parts of the body. For example, lead affects  

---